Ask Haviv Anything

Haviv Rettig Gur

"Ask Haviv Anything" is a podcast about history, a podcast you, dear listener, will help to shape and direct, focusing not just on what I want to talk about but on what you want to learn and discuss. Nothing is off limits. We're going to talk about big and painful things, and also beautiful and fascinating things, wars and identities and painful history. And also more light-hearted things. Humor matters, especially when facing tough subjects. Join me on this journey. A podcast by Haviv Rettig Gur

  1. 2 HRS AGO

    110: Van Jones on what broke the Black-Jewish alliance

    To support our work, please consider joining our Patreon community (https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything), Substack (https://havivgur.substack.com/), or Buy Me a Coffee (buymeacoffee.com/havivrettiggur). Be sure to check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/haviv.rettig.gur/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@haviv.rettig.gur). -- A century-long alliance between America's Black and Jewish communities was one of the most important drivers of American democratic reforms. But that relationship has not stood the test of time. The two communities seem more divided than ever. In this honest and unflinching conversation, Haviv sits down with activist, journalist and entrepreneur Van Jones to confront that unraveling, the mistrust, the misunderstandings and the widening gap between two communities that once changed history together. From civil rights to October 7, DEI to Gaza, we ask what happened, why the two communities don't understand each other, and whether that old, consequential alliance can be rebuilt. -- Thank you to the anonymous sponsor who asked to dedicate this episode to the victims of October 7. -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything or on Substack at https://havivgur.substack.com/. You can also Buy Me a Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/havivrettiggur. It helps us keep the lights on. Patreon is also where you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    1hr 9min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    109: The crisis no one is talking about in Canada, with Dr. Casey Babb

    Canada has long imagined itself as one of the safest, most tolerant societies on earth. For generations of Jews, it felt that way too. But something has changed, suddenly and profoundly. Synagogues have been shot at. Jewish schools targeted. People are hiding their identities, looking over their shoulder, taking down mezuzahs. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Casey Babb to ask a question few outside Canada are even aware needs asking: what is happening to Canadian Jews? From the history of Jewish life in Canada to the shock of October 7 and its aftermath, we trace how a quiet, integrated community is now grappling with fear, isolation, and a growing sense that the country they helped build may no longer fully accept them. This isn’t just a story about Jews in Canada. It’s a story about what happens when a society loses the ability to confront its own realities -- and what that means for its future. -- This episode was sponsored by Josh Sheptow and dedicated to the memory of Amnon Zilberspitz. Amnon was taken to the extermination camp at Auschwitz at age 20 with his brother and sister. Only he survived. After the war, he arrived at Kibbutz Dorot in 1947. On the Kibbutz he met Sara, the love of his life. Shortly after the War of Independence broke out, Amnon enlisted to fight. Amnon, the last of his family, fell in the Battle of Beit Guvrin at age 24. May we be worthy of Amnon and of all those who gave the only life they had to make the miracle of Israel possible. You can learn more about Amnon in a video by Ofer Winter and Shimon Engel produced by Dov Abramson Studio for the Beit Avi Chai memorial project. The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDOj-C4mq3E&list=PLv2rnAORLiVBbV9uGbYC0ZdPq23pg2xPW -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that help us choose our topics, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    1hr 8min

  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    108: How personal grief built a nation

    On the eve of Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day, we explore the profound arc of Israel's national remembrance days -- from Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) through Memorial Day, into Yom Ha'atzma'ut (Independence Day), and ending with the quiet, almost unknown commemoration of Theodor Herzl’s yahrzeit. It is an arc of memory, sacrifice, and renewal -- not abstract, but usually personal and intimate -- that lies at the heart of Jewish strength and survival in a dangerous world. -- This episode was sponsored by an anonymous sponsor who asked to dedicate it to the memory of those we lost on October 7. -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    29 min

  4. 16 APR

    107: What does Ezra Klein get wrong?

    Welcome to another installment of our short-form episodes that dive into often-asked questions about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our current episode tackles the New York Times’ Ezra Klein’s recent video about the “one-state reality” of Israelis and Palestinians, which many listeners have asked us to respond to. We watched it and were disappointed. We ask the question: What does Ezra Klein get wrong? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    14 min

  5. 15 APR

    106: After October 7, can Israeli politics be rebuilt? A conversation with Dr. Einat Wilf

    A new Israeli election is coming -- and it may reshape everything. In this opening episode of our election series, I sit down with former MK and political thinker Dr. Einat Wilf, now leading the new Oz party, to ask a fundamental question: Has October 7 broken Israeli politics as we knew it? We dive into voter realignment, the possible collapse of old “tribes,” the Haredi draft crisis, and whether a new political vision can emerge, or whether the system is too entrenched to change. -- This episode is sponsored anonymously in memory of Jack Rose and his son, Paul Lawrence Rose, and dedicated to the themes of Jewish survival, renewal, and education. Jack Rose’s parents and siblings were gassed in Nazi death camps. After serving with the Allies, he rebuilt his life in the UK, becoming president of Blackburn College of Technology and a robotics pioneer and publishing over fifty books. Honored by the Queen and UNESCO, Jack eventually reconnected to Israel, traveling often to the Jewish homeland. His son, Paul, transformed that legacy into scholarship as a leading historian of German culture and antisemitism. Before his 2014 death, Paul was editing a definitive manuscript, Antisemitisms, tracing the evolution of antisemitism. Both men were known for their warmth, generosity, and marvelous humor. In the spirit of renewal through education, we invite you to learn about Gan Condesa in Mexico City. After decades of Jewish life migrating to the gated suburbs, Gan Condesa is reclaiming a presence in the city’s walkable, cultural heart. Through its thriving Montessori and expanding community center, it is reconnecting unaffiliated families to their Jewish heritage. Visit ganmexico.com to donate or invest in this permanent Jewish home in North America’s largest city. -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    54 min

  6. 11 APR

    105: Why don’t we talk about Jordan?

    Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.Our current question: why don’t we talk about Jordan? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    15 min

  7. 8 APR

    104: The Iran war isn’t over

    Everyone’s asking who won. That’s the wrong question. This episode explains why the war isn’t over -- and what the real lessons of this conflict mean for Israel, Iran, and the future of war. -- This episode was sponsored by an anonymous sponsor in honor of all those we lost on October 7 and in the ensuing years of war. -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    42 min

  8. 3 APR

    103: Why is the two state solution so difficult to achieve?

    Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our current question: why is the two state solution so difficult to achieve? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

    19 min
See All (115)

Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

"Ask Haviv Anything" is a podcast about history, a podcast you, dear listener, will help to shape and direct, focusing not just on what I want to talk about but on what you want to learn and discuss. Nothing is off limits. We're going to talk about big and painful things, and also beautiful and fascinating things, wars and identities and painful history. And also more light-hearted things. Humor matters, especially when facing tough subjects. Join me on this journey. A podcast by Haviv Rettig Gur

Information

  • Creator
    Haviv Rettig Gur
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Haviv Rettig Gur
  • Show Website
    Ask Haviv Anything

You Might Also Like